BOUNCING WITH JOY: Barry Meadows, chairman of the Artie White Foundation, handed over £1,000 from the organisation to cancer sufferer Lucy Sutton and her grandma Linda. Linda is also pictured with cheques totalling £2,055 from Grimsby Telegraph readers.

THE family of a young cancer sufferer from Scartho have admitted they are "overwhelmed" after Grimsby Telegraph readers and the Artie White Foundation helped them over the halfway stage of their £20,000 fundraising target.

Seven-year-old Lucy Sutton, who has bone cancer and a secondary cancer of her lungs, needs £20,000 for a special treatment known as MEPACT, which could lead to her having groundbreaking treatment in America.

Thanks to more cheques worth £2,055 from Grimsby Telegraph readers, and £1,000 from the Artie White Foundation, the total now stands at an amazing £12,500.

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"We just cannot thank people enough. We knew we had a good town here but maybe we didn't know how good."

Lucy, a pupil at New Waltham Academy, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer in her left leg, in February last year and now has secondary cancer on her lungs, meaning she can have no more treatment on the NHS after the current third round of chemotherapy.

However, the Sutton family wants to take Lucy to a specialist clinic in America, but before they can comprehend the money that would cost, she needs a treatment called MEPACT, which costs £20,000.

The family hopes the treatment will break down the lung tumours, leaving her strong enough to focus on fighting the bone cancer, and to go to America.

The people of North East Lincolnshire, as well as businesses, have since flooded the family with donations after reading Lucy's story in the Grimsby Telegraph.

Barry Meadows, chairman of the Artie White Foundation, handed over £1,000 from the organisation to Lucy's fund.

"It is amazing how Lucy just gets on with things, these are the sorts of causes we really like to support," he said.

"We had a committee meeting to discuss the donation and every member wanted to help Lucy.

"She is so brave. The last time I saw her she had no hair and joked that we had the same haircuts!"

Lucy's grandma Linda Sutton was on hand to receive the cheque from the Artie White Foundation as well as just over £2,000 from readers at the St Andrew's Children's Hospice, which Lucy attends each Friday.

"We are just over the moon," she said.

"The response has been brilliant, this is the second time we have had a donation from the foundation.

"There are so many people who have helped, you just want to thank them all but it is hard to.

"We are getting near to that £20,000 total now. Lucy is a proper trooper and the way she deals with it all is amazing."

Lucy said a big thanks to Mr Meadows and Telegraph readers for their donations. "It is really kind, thank you," she said.